Travel news

Hue looks to become ‘food capital’

June 04,2018 10:36 AM

Authorities in the central province of Thua Thien Hue are to invest more than VND12.4 billion ($542,500) to build a brand name for Hue dishes in 2018-2020. The move is significant as many Hue dishes found in restaurants and eateries are inauthentic because they are not prepared in the proper way or are made with the wrong ingredients. More than 1,000 Hue-style dishes are being preserved at present. Hue is best known for is elegant royal cuisine, which was served to emperors under the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945). Some Hue dishes have been listed as the country’s best by the Vietnam Record Book Centre (Vietkings), such as bún bò (beef noodles), cơm hến (rice with mussels), bánh bèo (rice cake with grilled shrimp), mè xửng (sesame candy), and tôm chua (pickled shrimp), among others.

Visa exemptions for five European countries extended

June 04,2018 10:33 AM

Vietnam has renewed its policy of visa exemptions for citizens from five Western European countries for a further three years. Tourists from the UK, France, Germany, Spain and Italy will continue to enjoy visa exemptions when entering Vietnam under a policy aimed at enhancing tourism promotion that has contributed to maintaining growth in foreign arrivals of nearly 30% annually.

The government will consider proposals from the Vietnam Tourism Association regarding an extension of the period of visa-free stays from 15 to 30 days and the expansion of the policy to even more countries. Vietnam welcomed approximately 720,000 Western European visitors in 2015 and the number rose to 855,000 in 2016 and 1.5 million in 2017.

Hanoi launches tourism website

June 04,2018 10:35 AM

Hanoi’s downtown district of Hoan Kiem launched a tourism website on 20 May at hoankiem360.vn, hoankiem360.com, hoankiem360.com.vn, and hoankiem.net.vn, aimed at promoting its potential and attracting more tourists to the centre of Vietnam’s capital. The mobile app is compatible with smartphones using iOs, Android, Windows Phone and Web Brower platforms, and through 360-degree panoramic images allows interaction and life-like experiences amid landscapes, historical relics, tourist destinations, and other services, shown on Google Map or on lists. Visitors can therefore explore famous places in the central district, book hotel rooms and tours, and buy goods online.

Smart healthcare system set up

June 04,2018 10:29 AM

A smart healthcare system that exploits big data and artificial intelligence (AI) has been set up by the Ministry of Health to improve the quality of health examinations and medical treatment. Each locality in the country is expected to develop a smart healthcare system based on their own conditions, using artificial intelligence and software to manage information, tests, storage and image transmission, and electronic health records, and opening kiosks for patients to search for information. They have been also required to develop and contribute to a shared database for the country’s healthcare sector. Patients’ health records will be digitalised under the system, allowing them to more easily find and select the right specialist for their medical care. The results of patients’ tests will be stored in the database, which, for now, is only accessible to doctors. In the future, patients will also have access to their personal records.